Wednesday 3 December 2014

Christmas Newsletter

The D. Byrne & Co. Christmas Newsletter 2014

Wines and Spirits for Christmas

Seasonal Wine Cases
Earlier in November we launched our Christmas and Connoisseurs Cases of wine and they have been flying off the shelves. Each case has a beautiful selection of twelve bottles of wine designed for drinking over the Christmas period. Traditionally presented, the wines are accompanied by tasting notes and can be collected in the shop or delivered to any mainland UK address. For full details of these cases please CLICK HERE

There will be free delivery for orders within a 30 mile radius placed with us before 7th December. After that time there will be a small charge of £8, due to the sheer volume of wines being dispatched we will need to use carriers rather than our own drivers Ken, Shaun and Paulo.

Christmas Opening Times
We are open seven days a week in the run up to Christmas
8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday
Open late until 8.00pm on Thursday and Friday
8.00am to 6.00pm on Saturday
10.00am to 4.00pm on Sunday


The Victorian interior of the shop - and three underground wine cellars still to explore.

Andrew's Christmas Box
Taltarni Blanc de Blancs 2011 Methode Traditionelle
On my great adventure down under this was one of the wineries I visited. This very pure, very fine wine has an exceptional fruit flavour profile, coupled with great acidity. One of my very fond memories is drinking this at 11am pre-BBQ.
Montagny 'Les Crets' 2012/13 Feuillat Juillot
Earlier this year I visited Burgundy from north to south. This wine, made by a lovely lady, Francoise Feuillat- Juillot, was an absolute delight. It is medium bodied, has lovely fruit and is very fine. Great with white meat or fish.
Sileni 'The Straits' Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2013
This estate wine is a classic regional style, intensely aromatic with gooseberry and passionfruit characters. The palate is rich and full with a long finish. A lovely aperitif or with any fish, particularly smoked salmon.
Ontanon Rioja Reserva 2004
I've missed going to Spain this year, but this bodega is on next year's hit list. From a great vintage, this is proper Rioja, deep dark fruit flavours combined with ample acidity, minerality and earthy notes. It has a fine structure and natural grape tannins giving good length and weight, superb food wine!
Coyam Colchagua Valley, Emiliana 2011
Earlier this year I was visited from Chile by Noelia Orts, who has worked at prestigious wineries in Spain and New Zealand. She now makes impressive and expressive single vineyard 'Siglos de Origen' and the top flight blends Coyam and Ge. She's clearly a hugely talented wine maker and this has to be the Christmas Day bottle!

Krohn 2001 Colheita Port
Always a winner at Christmas, this multi gold award winning vintage tawny port has rich, caramelised berry fruit, perfect with cheese or fruit cake or, indeed, with a nice warm fire.
£79.00 if collected from the shop
£87.00 delivered anywhere in UK
Please see above for free delivery details


Tim's Christmas 2014 Wine Recommendations

Our finest red wine values of 2014

Pedrera Monastrell 2013, Jumilla, Spain £5.99
The new D. Byrne & Co. Red Wine of The Year 2014/15
We first introduced our 'Wines of The Year' in 1990, these wines represent our selection of what we consider to be the wine bargains of the year. The Pedrera Monastrell has the lot, great fruit, excellent structure and tonnes of personality......impossibly good for such a modest price.
Cabaret Frank Old Vine Cabernet Franc, Lodi, California £6.99
With tonnes of fresh, sweet red fruits this wine would be perfect served with the Christmas turkey.
Dona Paula Malbec 2013, Mendoza, Argentina £6.99
A classic Mendoza Malbec, with delicious black fruits and an uplifting floral feel.
Vina Real Crianza 2010, Rioja, Spain £7.99
This has been a firm favourite throughout the year and simply impossible to ignore. A very stylish Crianza from the excellent Bodegas C.V.N.E.......and 91 Parker points.
Chapoutier Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem 2013, Cotes-du-Rousillon Villages, France £13.99
94-97 points from The Wine Advocate. Cash in on this recent purchase which must stand as one of the finest bargains on the planet.



Christmas Claret
Please call in the shop and cellars to view our massive selection from the finest Chateaux in Bordeaux. In the meantime here are a few bargains we have rolled out for Christmas.

Chateau Caronne Sainte Gemme 2010, Haut Medoc £14.99
A consistently excellent Haut Medoc.
Available from 4th December 2014

Chateau Valade Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2009 £18.99
A rich a succulent St Emilion from the fantastic 2009 vintage
*SPECIAL OFFER* buy 12 bottles and pay for 11 (wooden boxes)

Chateau La Dauphine 2001, Fronsac £19.99
A wonderfully rich and mature Pomerol lookalike for £20.........yes please!

Grosset Gaia 2010, Clare Valley £34.99
Granted, this isn't Bordeaux but it is an impeccably crafted Paulliac pretender made by one of Australia's most precise wine makers.

A particularly classy bottle for the Christmas Table

Coudoulet de Beaucastel Cotes-du-Rhone - France 2009 £16.99
A wonderful example of high quality CDR from one of the Rhone's greatest estates.
Dominio de Atuata 2010, Ribera del Duero - Spain £20.99
A seriously fine Ribera from high altitude ancient vines.
Poderi Colla Barbaresco Roncaglie 2010, Piemonte - Italy £19.99
A fantastic vintage from an equally fantastic producer at a fantastic price.........fantastico!
Chianti Classico Il Grigio Gran Selezione 2010 - Italy £21.99
Gran Selezione is a new classification for the Chianti Classico, a superior classification to represent the highest quality wines within the DO. An absolutely stunning Chianti.
Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009 - France £38.99
A 'super-concentrated' effort from the delectable 2009 vintage. One of Chateauneuf's finest.

Recommended White Wines for Christmas



Diez Siglos Verdejo 2013, Rueda - Spain £5.99
D. Byrne & Co. White Wine of the Year 2014/15.
Pure, zingy and packed with crisp citrus fruits.
Soave Dal Cerro 2013, Veneto - Italy £9.99
A ripe and creamy Soave with bright citrus fruits and a wonderfully well rounded texture in the mouth.
Domaine du Petit Metris Clos de la Marche 2011 Savennieres - France £12.99
A very, very classy dry white made from the Chenin Blanc grape......simply astounding complexity and minerality.
Fento 2012, Riax Biaxas - Spain £12.59
Fresh white flowers on the nose and crispy stone fruit flavours on the palate. Serve with fine shellfish such as crab or oysters.
Le Fusil de Chasse 2012 Pouilly Fume - France £8.99
A very lean and crisp Pouilly Fume, a perfect accompaniment to the smoked salmon.
Domaine des Perserons Saint Veran 2012 - France £10.99
A fine example of just how good St Veran can be. A sensational value fine white Burgundy.
Domaine Faiveley Rully Blanc Les Villeranges 2012 - France £15.99
A very fine white Burgundy to accompany the finest fish dishes, lobster perhaps.
Domaine de la Motte Chablis 2012 - France £11.99
A classic style of Chablis but one with plenty of richness and intensity.

Champagne Offers

Louis Roederer Brut Premier £27.99
Taittinger Brut £25.59
Lallier Grand Cru Brut 2005 £29.98

Make mine a LARGE ONE
An impressive selection of impressive looking bottles to impress your friends.
A select few chosen from our massive range of large format bottles.

House Champagne    Magnum £38.99
House Champagne    Jeroboam £89.99
Champagne Lallier Grand Cru Grande Reserve Brut    Jeroboam £150.00
Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Premier    Jeroboam £175.00
Boutinot Cotes-du-Rhone Villages Seguret 2011    Magnum £21.99
Boutinot Cotes-du-Rhone Villages Seguret 2011    Jeroboam £85.00
Boutinot Cotes-du-Rhone Villages Cairanne 2011    Magnum £24.99
Chateau Langoa-Barton 2006 Saint Julien    Jeroboam £144.99
Chateau Sociando Mallet 1988 Haut-Medoc    6 litre £499.99
Chateau Montrose 1988 Saint-Esteph    5 litre £679.99
Vieux Telegraph 2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape    Magnum £79.99
Chateau Beaucastel 2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape    Magnum £110.99
San Felice Chianti Classico 2009    Magnum £19.99
San Felice Chianti Classico 2009    5 litre £95.00
San Felice Poggio Rosso 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva    Magnum £49.99
Campogiovanni 2007 Brunello di Montalcino    Jeroboam £149.99
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2008    Magnum £143.99
Penfolds RWT 2008    Magnum £169.99
Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet 2008    Magnum £208.99
Penfolds Grange 2006    Magnum £609.99



Philip's Burgundy Selection
Just a small selection from our range of over 1000

REDS
2005/6 Bourgogne Rouge Michel Lafarge £15.99
2010 Cote de Nuits Villages Roche de Bellene £11.99
2011 Bourgogne Rouge Matrot £12.99
2005 Volnay Vendages Selection Michel Lafarge £30.99
2002 Corton Pougets Grand Cru Louis Jadot £46.99
2010 Beaune Clos du Ursules Louis Jadot £36.99
2009 Vosne Romanee Clos Reas Michel Gros £62.99
2009 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux Comte Armand £62.99
2005 Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Dugat-Py £64.39
2009 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Pascal Marchand £69.99
2005 Chambertin Grand Cru Nicolas Potel £149.99
2009 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Pascal Marchand £114.99
2011 Chambertin Clos de Bez Grand Cru Duroche £89.99
2010 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses Roche de Bellene £139.99
WHITES
2008 St Romain Pascal Matrot £16.99
2009 Meursault Vendages Selection Lafarge £27.69
2005 Meursault Charmes Pierre Matrot £37.99
2011 Puligny Montrachet Domaine Laflaive £46.99
2007 Chassagne Montrachet Les Chaumes Niellon £40.39
2002 Le Montrachet Grand Cru Louis Jadot £184.99
2010 Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru Les Demoiselles Louis Jadot £218.99

Joseph's Spirit & Liqueur Recommendations

Whisky
Drumguish Single Malt, Highland £16.99
Soft, medium-dry with good body and a firm but gentle, dark, earthy smokiness.
Speyburn Bradan Orach, Speyside Single Malt £17.49
Classic Speyside single malt. Green apples, honey, lemon and floral vanilla spices. Wonderfully balanced, full-bodied, with a long lasting finish.
Ledaig, Isle of Mull Single Malt £19.99
Distinct peatiness and a prevalence of fresh sea air, seaweed and dry smoke. The long and pleasant finish has a satisfying ginger sweetness with a mellow soft warmth.
The Ileach, Islay Single Malt £22.99
Our biggest selling single malt, not to everyone's taste though. Robust, peaty, with the unmistakable breath of the seashore.
Tomintoul 10 year old, Speyside Single Malt £24.99
The gentle dram. Round, very approachable, with creamy sweetness balanced by gentle oaky spice.
Royal Lochnagar 12 year old, Highland Single Malt £29.99
A favourite of Queen Victoria. Extremely smooth with a slight sweetness. Medium weight, honey, barley and a touch of vanilla.
The Singleton of Dufftown 12 year old, Single Malt £29.89
"Perfectly balanced, naturally rich and smooth" it says on the label - that sums it up perfectly.
Glencadam 10 year old, Highland Single Malt £29.99
Beautifully balanced with tart fruits, freshly cut hay and vanilla sweetness. Long and gentle finish fading out on barley, malt and fruit.
Dalmore 15 year old, Highland Single Malt £47.99
Delicious and rich. Zesty orange, chocolate, winter spice and stem ginger. Hints of anise and a little hickory.
Haig Club, Single Grain Scotch £43.99
As smooth as David Beckham. A great price for this new whisky. Toffee and vanilla with pleasant supporting oak notes.

Other Whisky
John E. Fitzgerald Larceny, Kentucky Bourbon 100cl £34.99
Made with wheat as the secondary grain instead of the traditional rye, Larceny is a smoother tasting Bourbon. Buttery caramel and honey with a long, gently sweet and savoury finish (normal price £41.99).
Teeling Small Batch Blended, Irish Whiskey 70cl. £28.59
A deliciously creamy, spicy and rich Irish blend. Allspice, hints of vanilla, apple pie and blackberries (normal price £30.59).
Nikka From The Barrel, Japanese Whisky 50cl. £30.99
Plenty of winter spice and toffee, a little caramel and vanilla and a good mouthful of fruit. Full-bodied and punchy palate.

Brandy
Torres 10 Gran Reserva - Spain 70cl £12.99
Outstanding value, with a saving of £5, on this deliciously rounded and rich Spanish brandy.
Maxime Trijol Classic V.S. Cognac 70cl. £23.99
A vibrant and well balanced cognac. Rich and full of fruit and floral notes (normal price £25.99).
Maxime Trijol VSOP, Grande Champagne Cognac 70cl. £36.99
Spicy palate with notes of dried apricots and prune, with cedar and fruit coming through on the finish (normal price 39.99).
Ragnaud Sabourn No. 25 XO, Grande Champagne Cognac 70cl. £80.99
For that something a bit special. Floral nose, with blossom, some sweetness and rose petals. A woody palate with spices, oak-led vanilla and fruit. Long and elegant finish with gentle tannins (normal price £96.59).
Baron de Sigognac 10ans, Armagnac 70cl. £29.99
Lots of roundness on the palate with floral, woody and spicy notes leading to a long and pleasing finish of grilled almonds and vanilla (normal price £32.59).

Baron de Sigognac 20ans, Armagnac 70cl. £42.59
Flavours of violets, prunes and vanilla on the palate. The gentle but long finish reminds one of how mellow Armagnac can be when well-aged (normal price £50.59).

Rum
Three outstanding rums from Venezuela: very rich and smooth:
Dipumatico Anejo £19.59 (normal price 23.59)
Diplimatico Reserva £24.59 (normal price 27.99)
Diplimatico Reserva Exclusiva £33.99 (normal price £39.99)



Gin
Tanqueray, London Dry £18.99
Huge juniper hit with spicy notes of orange and lemon peel and just a hint of aniseed. A very flavoursome gin at a reasonable price.
Caorunn Small Batch, Scottish £23.99
Clean, crisp, sweet, full-bodied and aromatic. Serve with a slice of red apple for an extremely refreshing G&T.
Sacred Microdistillery, London Dry £29.99
A boutique artisanal hand distilled gin produced in small batches. Rich creamy notes of fresh citrus and juniper with exotic spice provided by cardamom, nutmeg and frankincense.Sacred Christmas Pudding Gin £33.99
Actual Christmas puddings, steamed for eight hours and then macerated with grain spirit, juniper berries and then redistilled for a refreshing alternative to the stodgy version. Serve from the freezer after the turkey.
Monkey 47, Schwarzwald Dry 50cl. £36.59
The ultimate in gin. An unusual gin made from 47 botanicals from the Black Forest in Germany. Cranberries, woody, spice, the list goes on. All the tastes of the forest floor. Delicious!

Liqueurs

Saliza Amaretto, Bepi Tosolini £19.59
Inviting almond-apricot nose with a hint of orange zesty. Lightly syrupy palate with marzipan, macaroon, almond and vanilla. The best Amaretto we've tried (normal price £21.59).
Evan Williams Bourbon Liqueurs £16.99
*available in cinnamon, cherry or honey
A great price on these three very popular liqueurs. Initially sweet, but with a Bourbony after kick due to the 35% vol. alcohol. The cinnamon works particularly well this time of year (normal price 20.29).

The Byrnes' Christmas Beer Keg
As usual we have the D. Byrne & Co. Christmas beer Keg of gorgeous beer prepared specially for us by Bowland Beer, at just £18.99
We also have a huge selection of bottled beers both local and international and beer gift packs which make excellent presents.

Gift Vouchers
We have gift vouchers which can be made out to any amount you choose and can be posted on your behalf to anywhere in the UK.




May we take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support throughout 2014 and wish you all a very Merry and Peaceful Christmas.